OptionsXpress engages in online options trading and provides securities brokerage products and services for investor education, strategy evaluation and trade execution. The company does 100 percent of its business on a secured Web site and offers services such as Strategy Scan, a tool that evaluates strategies based on a customer s opinion of the stock; educational tools; streaming quotes; and real-time financial news. OptionsXpress is also a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, which provides up to $500,000 in account protection, and accounts are automatically eligible for additional protection against the financial failure of optionsXpress. The company, founded in 2000, is based in Chicago.